Amended in Senate June 15, 2015

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 489

Introduced by Assembly Member Gonzalez

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(Coauthor: Assembly Member O’Donnell)

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(Coauthors: Senators Bates and Block)

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February 23, 2015

An act to amend Sections 3401 and 3402 of the Government Code, relating to awards.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 489, as amended, Gonzalez. Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor Act.

The Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor Act authorizes the Governor to annually award and present in the name of the State of California a Medal of Valor to one or more public safety officers, as defined, who are cited by the Attorney General, upon the recommendation of the Medal of Valor Review Board, for extraordinary valor above and beyond the call of duty. The act also establishes the Medal of Valor Review Board that recommends candidates to the Attorney General for the Medal of Valor from among the applications received by the board.

This bill would add ocean lifeguards to the list of public safety officers eligible to receive the award and authorize begin delete an unspecified group end delete begin insert the United States Lifesaving Association end insert to represent ocean lifeguards on the review board.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

Section 3401 of the Government Code is amended
to read:

3401.  

The Governor annually may award and present, in the
name of the State of California, a Public Safety Medal of Valor of
appropriate design, with ribbons and appurtenances, to one or more
public safety officers cited by the Attorney General pursuant to
Section 3402 for extraordinary valor above and beyond the call of
duty. The medal shall be the highest state award for valor awarded
to a public safety officer, which includes any person serving a
public agency, with or without compensation, as a firefighter, an
ocean lifeguard, a law enforcement officer, including a corrections
or court officer or a civil defense officer, or an emergency services
officer.

SEC. 2.  

Section 3402 of the Government Code is amended to
read:

3402.  

(a) There exists in state government the Public Safety
Medal of Valor Review Board, whose purpose is to solicit and
review applications for, and make recommendations to the Attorney
General regarding, the Public Safety Medal of Valor.

(b) The board shall be comprised of one representative selected
by each of the following organizations:

(1) The California Association of Highway Patrolmen.

(2) The California Coalition of Law Enforcement Associations.

(3) The California Correctional Peace Officers Association.

(4) The California Peace Officers’ Association.

(5) The California Police Chiefs’ Association.

(6) The California Professional Firefighters.

(7) The California State Firefighters’ Association.

(8) The California State Sheriffs’ Association.

(9) The California Statewide Law Enforcement Association.

(10) The Peace Officers Research Association of California.

(11) A group, selected by the board, that represents emergency
medical technicians and paramedics.

(12)  begin delete A group to be named to represent California ocean
lifeguards. end delete begin insert The United States Lifesaving Association. end insert

(c) The board shall be chaired by a member elected by a majority
vote of the members at the first official meeting of the board each
year. The board shall meet at the call of the chair. Members shall
serve without compensation or reimbursement for travel, per diem,
or other expenses, and they shall minimize travel and expenses to
the greatest extent possible. Any cost incurred by a member as a
result of serving as a member shall not be paid by the state.

(d) The board shall review the applications for the medal to
determine which applicants, if any, to recommend to the Attorney
General. The board may hear from witnesses and consider whatever
information it considers advisable to carry out its duties. The board
may secure directly from any state department, or other state or
local agency, information as the board considers necessary to carry
out its duties. Upon the request of the board, the head of a
department or agency may furnish information to the board. The
board shall not disclose any information that may compromise an
ongoing law enforcement investigation or is otherwise required
by law to be kept confidential.

(e) Not more often than once each year, the board may present
to the Attorney General the name or names of those persons, if
any, it recommends as candidates for the medal.

(f) The board may receive donations to pay for meeting and
witness expenses. Witnesses requested to appear before the board
may be paid no more than the fees paid to witnesses pursuant to
the Code of Civil Procedure. The per diem and mileage allowance
may be paid from funds donated to the board and shall not be paid
by the state. If donated funds are not available to the board, the
board shall not hold hearings or have witnesses.